The prognostic value of weight and body composition changes in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with nivolumab

Targeted nutritional intervention attenuates experimental lung cancer cachexia

BACKGROUND

Cachexia, a syndrome with high prevalence in non-small cell lung cancer patients, impairs quality of life and reduces tolerance and responsiveness to cancer therapy resulting in decreased survival. Optimal nutritional care is pivotal in the treatment of cachexia and a recommended cornerstone of multimodal therapy. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effect of an intervention diet consisting of a specific combination of high protein, leucine, fish oil, vitamin D, galacto-oligosaccharides, and fructo-oligosaccharides on the development and progression of cachexia in an orthotopic lung cancer mouse model.

METHODS

Eleven-week-old male 129S2/Sv mice were orthotopically implanted with 344P lung epithelial tumour cells or vehicle (control). Seven days post-implantation tumour-bearing (TB) mice were allocated to either intervention- or isocaloric control diet. Cachexia was defined as 5 days of consecutive body weight loss, after which mice were euthanized for tissue analyses.

RESULTS

TB mice developed cachexia accompanied by significant loss of skeletal muscle mass and epididymal fat mass compared with sham operated mice. The cachectic endpoint was significantly delayed (46.0 ± 15.2 vs. 34.7 ± 11.4 days), and the amount (-1.57 ± 0.62 vs. -2.13 ± 0.57 g) and progression (-0.26 ± 0.14 vs. -0.39 ± 0.11 g/day) of body weight loss were significantly reduced by the intervention compared with control diet. Moreover, systemic inflammation (pentraxin-2 plasma levels) and alterations in molecular markers for proteolysis and protein synthesis, indicative of muscle atrophy signalling in TB-mice, were suppressed in skeletal muscle by the intervention diet.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, these data demonstrate the potential of this multinutrient intervention, targeting multiple components of cachexia, as integral part of lung cancer management.

Tumor metabolic activity is associated with subcutaneous adipose tissue radiodensity and survival in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Cachexia-associated body composition alterations and tumor metabolic activity are both associated with survival of cancer patients. Recently, subcutaneous adipose tissue properties have emerged as particularly prognostic body composition features. We hypothesized that tumors with higher metabolic activity instigate cachexia related peripheral metabolic alterations, and investigated whether tumor metabolic activity is associated with body composition and survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), focusing on subcutaneous adipose tissue.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on a cohort of 173 patients with NSCLC. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scans obtained before treatment were used to analyze tumor metabolic activity (standardized uptake value (SUV) and SUV normalized by lean body mass (SUL)) as well as body composition variables (subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue radiodensity (SAT/VAT radiodensity) and area; skeletal muscle radiodensity (SM radiodensity) and area). Subjects were divided into groups with high or low SAT radiodensity based on Youden Index of Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC). Associations between tumor metabolic activity, body composition variables, and survival were analyzed by Mann-Whitney tests, Cox regression, and Kaplan-Meier analysis.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of high SAT radiodensity was 50.9% (88/173). Patients with high SAT radiodensity had shorter survival compared with patients with low SAT radiodensity (mean: 45.3 vs. 50.5 months, p = 0.026). High SAT radiodensity was independently associated with shorter overall survival (multivariate Cox regression HR = 1.061, 95% CI: 1.022-1.101, p = 0.002). SAT radiodensity also correlated with tumor metabolic activity (SULpeak rs = 0.421, p = 0.029; SUVpeak rs = 0.370, p = 0.048). In contrast, the cross-sectional areas of SM, SAT, and VAT were not associated with tumor metabolic activity or survival.

CONCLUSION

Higher SAT radiodensity is associated with higher tumor metabolic activity and shorter survival in patients with NSCLC. This may suggest that tumors with higher metabolic activity induce subcutaneous adipose tissue alterations such as decreased lipid density, increased fibrosis, or browning.

Influence of cachexia on immunotherapy efficacy and prognosis for malignant tumors of the digestive system

BACKGROUND

The presence of cancer cachexia is a significant adverse prognostic indicator in patients with malignant tumors. Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by a constant loss of skeletal muscles with or without a loss of weight, leading to immune dysfunction. We performed a retrospective study to investigate the influence of cachexia on the immunotherapy efficacy and prognosis for malignant tumors of the digestive system.

METHODS

The present study adopts a cross-sectional design. The prognosis data of patients with advanced cancer of the digestive system who received immunotherapy from September 2021 to December 2022 were analyzed. Cachexia was calculated using the change of the area of the psoas major muscle (PMMA) or the weight. We measured the change at the beginning of immunotherapy and at least 2 cycles afterward. The participants were categorized into the cachexia group and control group based on the evaluation criteria. Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank methods were used for survival analysis. Cox proportional hazard model as a method to assess the contribution of different clinical factors to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

A total number of 98 patients, including esophageal carcinoma (4, 4%), gastric (36, 37%), colorectal (51, 52%), and other cancer types (7, 7%), were enrolled. Fifty-four patients were diagnosed with non-cancer cachexia, and the cancer cachexia group included 44 patients. The median PFS in the cachexia group was shorter than that in the control group (130 days vs. 212 days). Their difference was not significant (p = .321). The survival rate of the patients without cachexia was longer than of those with cachexia (p = .027). The level of albumin and the number of metastatic organs were related to PFS (p = .020, p = .029). The albumin level was significantly associated with the OS of patients (p = .003).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of cachexia was significantly associated with poor OS in patients with malignant tumors of the digestive system who received immunotherapy, not with PFS or the response to immunotherapy.

Correlation between changes in nutritional status and tumor response in patients receiving immunotherapy for lung cancer (NUTIMMUNO study)

Malnutrition is a common condition in lung cancer, and it is an independent prognostic factor. The main objective of this study was to determine whether an early improvement at 3 months in the nutritional status (NS) of patients undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) is associated with a tumor response to treatment at 6-month follow-up. The clinical data of 106 patients initiating ICI for bronchopulmonary non-small cell lung cancer (NCSLC) were retrospectively reviewed. NS was defined according to the HAS 2019 recommendation, depending on BMI, percentage of weight loss, and albuminemia. NS was assessed at baseline (M0) and 3 months (M3) after ICI treatment initiation according to 3 categories: well-nourished, malnourished, and very malnourished. The NS evolution of the 92 patients who were still alive at 3 months was determined. The proportion of patients with malnutrition at M0 and M3 was 39.6% and 43.3%. Median follow-up was 18.7 months. OS and PFS were longer for patients in the M0 well-nourished group than in the malnourished and very malnourished groups. Patients who remained well-nourished had a significantly better ICI success rate at 6 months than patients who remained malnourished or improved or deteriorated their NS. OS was significantly longer for remaining well-nourished patients compared to the amelioration group and the degradation group. PFS was not significantly modified between the 4 evolution groups. Maintaining good NS during the first months of ICI treatment leads to better OS and objective response rate than remaining malnourished or early deteriorating NS. However, an early improvement in NS does not seem to predict a good tumor response to treatment and not a better OS either.

Prognostic Significance of the Cachexia Index in Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Brain Metastases after Stereotactic Radiotherapy

Background

The cachexia index (CXI) has been proposed as a novel biomarker of cancer cachexia. We aimed to investigate the association between CXI and survival outcomes after stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and brain metastases.

Methods

Data from 145 patients with NSCLC, who underwent SRT for brain metastases between April 2016 and August 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. Cachexia index was calculated as skeletal muscle index (SMI) × serum albumin level/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, whereas SMI was calculated from computed tomography images captured at the L1 level. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The prognostic values of CXI and other cachexia biomarkers were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

Lower pretreatment CXI (<30.8) was significantly associated with older age (P = .039), lower Karnofsky performance score (P = .009), and a high likelihood of extracranial metastases (P = .001). Patients with a lower pretreatment CXI had a significantly shorter PFS and OS than those with a higher CXI (P < .001). Multivariate analysis revealed that pretreatment CXI was an independent risk factor for both PFS, hazard ratio (HR) = 2.375; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.610-3.504; P < .001, and OS, HR = 2.340; 95% CI = 1.562-3.505; P < .001. Compared with other biomarkers, pretreatment CXI had the highest area under the ROC curve value for prognostic assessment, reaching 0.734. Moreover, the loss of CXI was a strong risk factor for survival independent of pretreatment CXI (P = .011).

Conclusions

Cachexia index may serve as a clinically useful tool for predicting survival outcomes of patients with NSCLC and brain metastases who undergo SRT.

Prognostic value of obesity in patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: An updated meta‑analysis and systematic review

Accumulating interest has been surging over the past few years regarding the effects of obesity on immunotherapy. In addition to the body mass index (BMI), imaging-quantified body fat compartments have been investigated. The present study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the BMI and computed tomography (CT)-based body fat in patients with cancer receiving immunotherapy. For this purpose, the PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases were searched from January 2017 to July 2022. Clinical studies evaluating the association between BMI or body fat and survival of patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) were included. In total, 15 studies reporting on the BMI were included in the meta-analysis and 16 studies evaluating body fat were included in the systematic review. According to the classification of the World Health Organization, overweight and obese patients with ICI treatment showed improved overall survival [overweight vs. normal: Hazard ratio (HR)=0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.64-0.98, P=0.03; obese vs. normal: HR=0.75, 95% CI=0.60-0.94, P=0.013] and progression-free survival (overweight vs. normal: HR=0.82, 95% CI=0.70-0.97, P=0.02; obese vs. normal: HR=0.81, 95% CI=0.65-1.02, P=0.07). Among the articles investigating the effect of body fat composition on the efficacy of immunotherapy, a number of studies included various CT analysis techniques and cutoffs to define body fat composition. Associations of body fat with survival were contradictory in different patients with cancer treated with immunotherapy. Obesity was associated with better survival in patients with cancer treated with ICIs. Further analyses are required to demonstrate the prognostic value of body fat in patients with cancer immunotherapy.

Imaging-based adipose biomarkers for predicting clinical outcomes of cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a systematic review

Background

Since the application of Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), the clinical outcome for metastatic cancer has been greatly improved. Nevertheless, treatment response varies in patients, making it urgent to identify patients who will receive clinical benefits after ICI therapy. Adipose body composition has proved to be associated with tumor response. In this systematic review, we aimed to summarize the current evidence on imaging adipose biomarkers that predict clinical outcomes in patients treated with ICI in various cancer types.

Methods

Embase and PubMed were searched from database inception to 1st February 2023. Articles included investigated the association between imaging-based adipose biomarkers and the clinical outcomes of patients treated with ICI. The methodological quality of included studies was evaluated through Newcastle- Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and Radiomics Quality Score tools.

Results

Totally, 22 studies including 2256 patients were selected. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had the most articles (6 studies), followed by melanoma (5 studies), renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (3 studies), urothelial carcinoma (UC) (2 studies), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (1 study), gastric cancer (1 study) and liver cancer (1 study). The remaining 3 studies investigated metastatic solid tumors including various types of cancers. Adipose biomarkers can be summarized into 5 categories, including total fat, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, intramuscular fat and others, which exerted diverse correlations with patients' prognosis after being treated with ICI in different cancers. Most biomarkers of body fat were positively associated with survival benefits. Nevertheless, more total fat was predictable of worse outcomes in NSCLC, while inter-muscular fat was associated with poor clinical benefits in UC.

Conclusion

There is relatively well-supported evidence for imaging-based adipose biomarkers to predict the clinical outcome of ICI. In general, most of the studies show that adipose tissue is positively correlated with clinical outcomes. This review summarizes the significant biomarkers proven by researches for each cancer type. Further validation and large independent prospective cohorts are needed in the future. The protocol of this systematic review has been registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, registration no: CRD42023401986).

Prognostic Factors in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Immunotherapy

Taking into account the huge epidemiologic impact of lung cancer (in 2020, lung cancer accounted for 2,206,771 of the cases and for 1,796,144 of the cancer-related deaths, representing the second most common cancer in female patients, the most common cancer in male patients, and the second most common cancer in male and female patients) and the current lack of recommendations in terms of prognostic factors for patients selection and management, this article aims to provide an overview of the current landscape in terms of currently available immunotherapy treatments and the most promising assessed prognostic biomarkers, highlighting the current state-of-the-art and hinting at future challenges.

Prognostic value of sarcopenia in patients with lung cancer treated with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors or immune checkpoint inhibitors

Objectives

It remains controversial whether sarcopenia has any significant impact on the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess the association between sarcopenia and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC receiving EGFR-TKIs or ICIs as a first-line therapy.

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled 131 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with first-line EGFR-TKIs or ICIs between 1 March 2019 and 31 March 2021. To estimate sarcopenia, we calculated skeletal muscle index (SMI) as the ratio of skeletal muscle area (cm2) to height squared (m2). Associations between sarcopenia and overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank tests, respectively. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the factors associated with OS and PFS. The Student’s t-test or Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the SMI between patients with or without objective response and disease control. The chi-squared test was used to compare adverse events (AEs) between patients with and without sarcopenia.

Results

Among the 131 patients, 35 (26.7%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was an independent predictor of poor OS and PFS (p &lt; 0.05) overall and in the EGFR-TKI- and ICI-treated cohorts. Among all patients, those with sarcopenia showed significantly shorter OS and PFS than those without sarcopenia (median OS and PFS: 13.0 vs. 26.0 months and 6.4 vs. 15.1 months; both p &lt; 0.001). These associations were consistent across the subtypes of most clinical characteristics. Statistically significant differences between the objective response (OR) and non-OR groups were also observed in the mean SMI (OR group, 43.89 ± 7.55 vs. non-OR group, 38.84 ± 7.11 cm2/m2; p &lt; 0.001). In addition, we observed similar results with disease control (DC) and non-DC groups (DC group, 42.46 ± 7.64 vs. non-DCR group, 33.74 ± 4.31 cm2/m2; p &lt; 0.001). The AEs did not differ significantly between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups.

Conclusion

Sarcopenia before treatment might be a significant predictor of poor clinical outcomes (shorter OS and PFS, fewer ORs, less DC) in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with EGFR-TKIs or ICIs as the first-line therapy.

Fat Loss in Patients with Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic impact of fat loss after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment in patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Data from 60 patients treated with ICI therapy for metastatic ccRCC were retrospectively analyzed. Changes in cross-sectional areas of subcutaneous fat (SF) between the pre-treatment and post-treatment abdominal computed tomography (CT) images were expressed as percentages and were divided by the interval between the CT scans to calculate ΔSF (%/month). SF loss was defined as ΔSF < -5%/month. Survival analyses for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were performed. Patients with SF loss had shorter OS (median, 9.5 months vs. not reached; p < 0.001) and PFS (median, 2.6 months vs. 33.5 months; p < 0.001) than patients without SF loss. ΔSF was independently associated with OS (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.49; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-2.07; p = 0.020) and PFS (adjusted HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.17-2.12; p = 0.003), with a 5%/month decrease in SF increasing the risk of death and progression by 49% and 57%, respectively. In conclusion, Loss of SF after treatment initiation is a significant and independent poor prognostic factor for OS and PFS in patients with metastatic ccRCC who receive ICI therapy.

Effect of body tissue composition on the outcome of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors

Obesity and sarcopenia have been reported to affect outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We analyzed prospective data from 52 patients with non-oncogene driven metastatic NSCLC treated with ICIs. Body tissue composition was calculated by measuring the fat and muscle densities at the level of 3rd lumbar vertebra in each patient computed tomography scan before ICI initiation using sliceOmatic tomovision. We converted the densities to indices [Intramuscular Fat Index (IMFI), Visceral Fat Index (VFI), Subcutaneous Fat Index (SFI), Lumbar Skeletal Muscle Index (LSMI)] by dividing them by height in meters squared. Patients were dichotomized based on their baseline IMFI, VFI and SFI according to their gender-specific median value. The cut-offs that were set for LMSI values were 55 cm2/m2 for males and 39 cm2/m2 for females. SFI distribution was significantly higher (p = 0.040) in responders compared to non-responders. None of the other variables affected response rates. Low LSMI HR: 2.90 (95% CI: 1.261-6.667, p = 0.012) and low SFI: 2.20 (95% CI: 1.114-4.333, p = 0.023) values predicted for inferior OS. VFI and IMFI values did not affect survival. Subcutaneous adipose and skeletal muscle tissue composition significantly affected immunotherapy outcomes in our cohort.

Effect of Cancer-Related Cachexia and Associated Changes in Nutritional Status, Inflammatory Status, and Muscle Mass on Immunotherapy Efficacy and Survival in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based immunotherapy has significantly improved the survival of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, a significant percentage of patients do not benefit from this approach, and predictive biomarkers are needed. Increasing evidence demonstrates that cachexia, a complex syndrome driven by cancer-related chronic inflammation often encountered in patients with NSCLC, may impair the immune response and ICI efficacy. Herein, we carried out a prospective study aimed at evaluating the prognostic and predictive role of cachexia with the related changes in nutritional, metabolic, and inflammatory parameters (assessed by the multidimensional miniCASCO tool) on the survival and clinical response (i.e., disease control rate) to ICI-based immunotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. We included 74 consecutive patients. Upon multivariate regression analysis, we found a negative association between IL-6 levels (odds ratio (OR) = 0.9036; 95%CI = 0.8408-0.9711; p = 0.0025) and the miniCASCO score (OR = 0.9768; 95%CI = 0.9102-0.9999; p = 0.0310) with the clinical response. As for survival outcomes, multivariate COX regression analysis found that IL-6 levels and miniCASCO-based cachexia severity significantly affected PFS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.0388; 95%CI = 1.0230-1.0548; p < 0.001 and HR = 1.2587; 95%CI = 1.0850-1.4602; p = 0.0024, respectively) and OS (HR = 1.0404; 95%CI = 1.0221-1.0589; p < 0.0001 and HR = 2.3834; 95%CI = 1.1504-4.9378; p = 0.0194, respectively). A comparison of the survival curves by Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significantly lower OS in patients with cachexia versus those without cachexia (p = 0.0323), as well as higher miniCASCO-based cachexia severity (p = 0.0428), an mGPS of 2 versus those with a lower mGPS (p = 0.0074), and higher IL-6 levels (>6 ng/mL) versus those with lower IL-6 levels (≤6 ng/mL) (p = 0.0120). In conclusion, our study supports the evidence that cachexia, with its related changes in inflammatory, body composition, and nutritional parameters, is a key prognostic and predictive factor for ICIs. Further larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and to explore the potential benefit of counteracting cachexia to improve immunotherapy efficacy.

The landscape of cancer cachexia in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a narrative review

Background and Objective

Cancer cachexia presents with weight loss, anorexia, and fatigue and worsens the prognosis and quality of life of cancer patients. We aimed to summarize the current relevant discourse in the literature about cancer cachexia in the setting of non-small cell lung carcinoma and the possible current and future treatments.

Methods

We conduct a narrative review of the literature on the landscape of cancer cachexia in the context of non-small cell lung cancer, multimodality therapy, markers, imaging, tumor biology, pathology, chemoprevention, and technical advances.

Key Content and Findings

The need for appropriate intervention for cancer cachexia is increasing as the prognosis of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer is improving with advances in treatment. Tumor cells play a role in the pathogenesis of cachexia, where they release factors that elicit the production of inflammatory cytokines by the immune system resulting in decreased appetite, abnormal energy metabolism, and skeletal muscle degeneration. Comorbid chronic lung diseases are associated with pulmonary cachexia and sarcopenia and commonly occur in the context of lung cancer, further contributing to the increased incidence of cachexia in patients with lung cancer. Currently, a ghrelin-like agonist, anamorelin, is approved for the treatment of cancer cachexia and is used in clinical practice in Japan. The role that nutritional and exercise therapies can play as added treatments must be further explored.

Conclusions

Cancer cachexia remains a poorly understood phenomenon, and awareness must be raised through educational activities for health care providers and patient family members. In addition, new therapeutics targeting cancer cachexia, such as GDF-15 antibodies, are in development, and further progress is expected.

The predictive and prognostic value of weight loss and body composition prior to and during immune checkpoint inhibition in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Response rates of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) are low.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective multicentre cohort study evaluates the predictive and prognostic value of weight loss and changes in body composition prior and during therapy. Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics of 98 patients were retrieved, including neutrophil and platelet-lymphocyte-ratio (NLR and PLR). Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression was determined on residual material. Cachexia was defined according to Fearon et al. (2011). Skeletal muscle (SM), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were evaluated on computed tomography scans at the third lumbar vertebrae level. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were performed for 6 months progression free survival (PFS6m) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Significant early weight loss (>2%) during the first 6 weeks of therapy was shown in 34 patients (35%). This patient subgroup had a significantly higher NLR and PLR at baseline. NLR and PLR were inversely correlated with SM and VAT index. Independent predictors of PFS6m were lower World Health Organization performance status (HR 0.16 [0.04-0.54] p = 0.003), higher baseline SAT index (HR 1.045 [1.02-1.08] p = 0.003), and weight loss <2% (HR 0.85 [0.74-0.98] p = 0.03). Baseline cachexia in combination with >2% early weight loss remained a predictor of OS, independent of PD-L1 expression (HR 2.09 [1.11-3.92] p = 0.02, HR 2.18 [1.13-4.21] p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

We conclude that the combination of cachexia at baseline and weight loss during ICI therapy is associated with worse OS in R/M HNSCC patients, independent of PD-L1 expression.

Changes in Body Weight, Body Composition, Phase Angle, and Resting Metabolic Rate in Male Patients with Stage IV Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Therapy

Background and Objectives: Cancer treatments can adversely influence body weight status, body composition, phase angle (PhA), and resting metabolic rate (RMR), which could possibly affect disease course. Τhe aim was to assess differences in body composition, PhA, RMR, and related parameters in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients after treatment. Methods: The sample consisted of 82 NSCLC (stage IV) male patients (chemotherapy (C) 15.7%; immunotherapy (I) 13.3%; C + I 25.3%; (C) + radiotherapy (R) 22.9 %; and other 15.5%). Body weight and body composition, PhA, RMR, oxygen consumption (VO2), ventilation rate, and diet were assessed at baseline and at 3 months after initiation of therapy. Results: Reductions in PhA, RMR, VO2, ventilation rate, and intracellular water were observed at follow up. Weight loss was evident for 45% of patients who also had a reduction in lean body mass. In the group under C, lean mass was reduced at follow up (55.3 ± 11.53 vs. 52.4 ± 12.6, p = 0.04) without significant weight changes. In subjects with a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDietScore < 30), RMR (1940 ± 485 vs. 1730 ± 338 Kcal, p = 0.001), VO2 (277.1 ± 70.2 vs. 247 ± 49.1 mL/min, p = 0.001), and ventilation rate (10.1 ± 2.28 vs. 9. ± 2 2.2 L/min, p = 0.03) were significantly reduced. The changes in body weight were positively related to % of change in fat mass (rho = 0.322, p = 0.003) and absolute lean mass change (rho = 0.534, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with % of change in total body water (rho = −0.314, p = 0.004) (Spearman correlation coefficients). Conclusions: In conclusion, cancer therapy related to reductions in PhA and RMR, while lean mass reduction may be related to the type of treatment. Our results emphasize the importance of a more holistic nutritional and body composition assessment beyond body weight, to better address patients’ needs in clinical practice.

Correlation of reduced temporal muscle thickness and systemic muscle loss in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients

PURPOSE

Reduced temporal muscle thickness (TMT) has recently been postulated as a prognostic imaging marker and an objective tool to assess patients frailty in glioblastoma. Our aim is to investigate the correlation of TMT and systemic muscle loss to confirm that TMT is an adequate surrogate marker of sarcopenia in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients.

METHODS

TMT was assessed on preoperative MR-images and skeletal muscle area (SMA) was assessed at the third lumbar vertebra on preoperative abdominal CT-scans. Previous published TMT sex-specific cut-off values were used to classify patients as 'patient at risk of sarcopenia' or 'patient with normal muscle status'. Correlation between TMT and SMA was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

Sixteen percent of the 245 included patients were identified as at risk of sarcopenia. The mean SMA of glioblastoma patients at risk of sarcopenia (124.3 cm2, SD 30.8 cm2) was significantly lower than the mean SMA of patients with normal muscle status (146.3 cm2, SD 31.1 cm2, P < .001). We found a moderate association between TMT and SMA in the patients with normal muscle status (Spearman's rho 0.521, P < .001), and a strong association in the patients at risk of sarcopenia (Spearman's rho 0.678, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Our results confirm the use of TMT as a surrogate marker of total body skeletal muscle mass in glioblastoma, especially in frail patients at risk of sarcopenia. TMT can be used to identify patients with muscle loss early in the disease process, which enables the implementation of adequate intervention strategies.

Inflammation as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer Cachexia

Cachexia is a common complication of cancer and is associated with poor quality of life and a decrease in survival. Many patients with cancer cachexia suffer from inflammation associated with elevated cytokines, such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Single-agent trials to treat cancer cachexia have not led to substantial benefit as the type of cytokine which is elevated has rarely been specified and targeted. Cachexia may also be multifactorial, involving inflammation, anorexia, catabolism, depression, and pain, and targeting the multiple causes will likely be necessary to achieve improvement in weight and appetite. A PUBMED search revealed over 3000 articles on cancer cachexia in the past ten years. We attempted to review any studies related to inflammation and cancer cachexia identified by Google Scholar and PUBMED and further search for articles listed in their references. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines do not provide any suggestion for managing cancer cachexia except a dietary consult. A more targeted approach to developing therapies for cancer cachexia might lead to more personalized and effective therapy.

Sarcopenia Was a Poor Prognostic Predictor for Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Background

It remains not well known whether skeletal muscle mass (SMM) loss has any impact on the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced lung cancer. We aimed to evaluate the association between SMM and clinical outcome of patients with advanced lung cancer receiving ICIs as first line or second line.

Materials and Methods

From March 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2021 at our hospital, 34 patients with advanced lung cancer treated with first-line or second-line ICIs were enrolled retrospectively. The estimation of skeletal muscle index (SMI) for sarcopenia was assessed at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) on computed tomography (CT) images obtained within 4 weeks before initiation of ICIs treatment. The impact of sarcopenia (low SMI) on progression free survival (PFS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests. The effect of various variables on PFS was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression model with univariate and multivariate analysis. The impact on treatment response including objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) and immunotherapy related adverse events (irAEs) between patients with and without sarcopenia was compared by the chi-squared test. The comparison of SMI value between patients with objective response (OR), disease control (DC) and those without OR and DC was used student t-test or Mann-Whitney U test.

Results

Both in univariate and multivariate analysis, sarcopenia and treatment lines were the predictive factors for PFS (p < 0.05). Patients with sarcopenia had significantly shorter PFS than that of non-sarcopenic ones [6.57 vs. 16.2 months, hazard ratios (HR) = 2.947 and 3.542, and 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.123–13.183 and 1.11–11.308, p = 0.022 and 0.033]. No significant difference in ORR and irAEs was found. Patients with sarcopenia had lower DCR than those without sarcopenia. The mean SMI value of DCR group and non-DCR group was 32.94 ± 5.49 and 44.77 ± 9.06 cm²/m², respectively (p = 0.008).

Conclusion

Sarcopenia before immunotherapy might be a significant predictor for poor prognosis including shorter PFS and lower DCR in patients with advanced lung cancer treated with ICIs as first line or second line.

Association between Nutritional Status and Treatment Response and Survival in Patients Treated with Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer: A Retrospective French Study

Simple Summary

It is estimated that 73% of advanced non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) will become malnourished and develop cachexia which is considered as an independent prognostic factor. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between nutritional assessments and (i) immunotherapy efficacy, (ii) tolerance, and (iii) survival in patients with an advanced NSCLC stage of lung cancer treated with immunotherapy. In total, 67% of the 120 patients analysed were not malnourished, 20% presented with moderate malnutrition, and 13% presented with severe malnutrition. There was no significant link between the nutritional status and the toxicity of immunotherapy. However, severe malnutrition was significantly associated with treatment efficacy and with a lower survival rate. Malnutrition appears to have a negative impact in the case of immunotherapy, in contrast to a high body mass index, which seems to be protective. In addition to confirming the benefits of early and appropriate nutritional management, research must also focus on catabolism and the uncontrolled inflammatory mechanisms.

Abstract

Malnutrition is associated with a greater risk of morbidity and mortality and lower tolerance to chemotherapy. Our purpose was to study the association between nutritional status and the efficiency and tolerance of immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nutritional and oncological data were reported at 2 months (M2) and 4 months (M4) after the initiation of immunotherapy (M0). The influence of nutritional status at M0 was estimated with the efficacy and toxicity of immunotherapy at M2 to M4. In total, 127 patients were included in the study, and nutritional status was estimated at M0 for 120 patients: 67% were not malnourished, 20% presented with moderate malnutrition, and 13% presented with severe malnutrition. There was no significant link between the nutritional status at M0 and the toxicity of immunotherapy at M2 and M4. However, severe malnutrition was significantly associated with treatment efficacy at M2 (p = 0.04) and with a lower survival rate with an HR (Hazard Ratio) = 2.32–95% C.I: 1.13–4.75 (p = 0.02). Furthermore, a monthly decrease of 1% of the weight had an HR = 1.17–95% C.I: 1.13–1.21 (p = 0.0001). Severe malnutrition and weight loss are independent factors associated with lower survival. Studies integrating the systemic detection of sarcopenia with a closer nutritional follow-up could highlight an improvement in survival.

Myosteatosis can Predict Unfavorable Outcomes in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated With Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy and Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy

Aim

To evaluate the feasibility of computed tomography (CT) - derived measurements of body composition parameters to predict the risk factor of non-objective response (non-OR) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (immune-HAIC).

Methods

Patients with histologically confirmed HCC and treated with the immune-HAIC were retrospectively recruited between June 30, 2019, and July 31, 2021. CT-based estimations of body composition parameters were acquired from the baseline unenhanced abdominal CT images at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) and were applied to develop models predicting the probability of OR. A myosteatosis nomogram was built using the multivariate logistic regression incorporating both myosteatosis measurements and clinical variables. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves assessed the performance of prediction models, including the area under the curve (AUC). The nomogram's performance was assessed by the calibration, discrimination, and decision curve analyses. Associations among predictors and gene mutations were also examined by correlation matrix analysis.

Results

Fifty-two patients were recruited to this study cohort, with 30 patients having a OR status after immune-HAIC treatment. Estimations of myosteatosis parameters, like SM-RA (skeletal muscle radiation attenuation), were significantly associated with the probability of predicting OR (P=0.007). The SM-RA combined nomogram model, including serum red blood cell, hemoglobin, creatinine, and the mean CT value of visceral fat (VFmean) improved the prediction probability for OR disease with an AUC of 0.713 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.95) than the clinical model nomogram with AUC of 0.62 using a 5-fold cross-validation methodology. Favorable clinical potentials were observed in the decision curve analysis.

Conclusions

The CT-based estimations of myosteatosis could be used as an indicator to predict a higher risk of transition to the Non-OR disease state in HCC patients treated with immune-HAIC therapy. This study demonstrated the therapeutic relevance of skeletal muscle composition assessments in the overall prediction of treatment response and prognosis in HCC patients.

The prognostic value of weight and body composition changes in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with nivolumab

BACKGROUND

It is not well known to what extent effectiveness of treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors in stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is influenced by weight loss and changes in body composition. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate body composition changes in relation to early weight change and overall survival (OS) in stage IV NSCLC patients treated with second-line nivolumab.

METHODS

All patients with stage IV NSCLC, who were treated with second-line nivolumab between June 2015 and December 2018 at Maastricht University Medical Center, were evaluated. Skeletal muscle mass (SMM), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were assessed at the first lumbar level on computed tomography images obtained before initiation of nivolumab and at week 6 of treatment. The contribution of changes in body weight (defined as >2% loss), SMM, VAT, and SAT to OS was analysed by Kaplan-Meier method and adjusted for clinical confounders in a Cox regression analysis. The results from the study cohort were validated in another Dutch cohort from Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam.

RESULTS

One hundred and six patients were included in the study cohort. Loss of body weight of >2% at week 6 was an independent predictor for poor OS (hazard ratio 2.39, 95% confidence interval 1.51-3.79, P < 0.001) when adjusted for gender, >1 organ with metastasis, pretreatment hypoalbumenaemia, and pretreatment elevated C-reactive protein. The result was confirmed in the validation cohort (N = 62). Loss of SMM as a feature of cancer cachexia did not significantly predict OS in both cohorts. Significant (>2%) weight loss during treatment was reflected by a significant loss of VAT and SAT, while loss of SMM was comparable between weight-stable and weight-losing patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Weight loss, characterized by loss of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues, at week 6 of treatment with nivolumab, is a significant poor prognostic factor for survival in patients with Stage IV NSCLC.